Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

A. NIEKAMP.

THILL COUPLING.

, Patented Aug. 11, 1891.

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UNITED i STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON NIEKAMP, OF MARIA STEIN, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,662, dated August11, 1891,.

Application filed May 8, 1891` Serial No. 392,084. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/:

Be it known that 1, ANTON NIEKAMP, of Maria Stein, in the county ofMercer and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inThill-Oouplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates Vto an improvement in thill-couplings, and has forits object to provide a coupling of exceedingly simple and durableconstruction in which rubbers or springsV are not employed, and whereinthe vparts comprising the coupling are so constructed that when properlygr'ouped the coupling will be an anti-rattling one.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling constructedina manner to admit of the fastening devices being readily loosened andtightened by hand, thus dispensing with the necessity of a wrench.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be .hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed ontin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar tigures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is an end view of the coupling, the axle being shown insection. Fig. 2is a central vertical section taken upon the line 2 2 ofFig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupling, a portion thereof beingbroken away, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of a lock-barconstituting a portion of the coupling.

The body of the coupling consists of a cylinder or a circular tubularcasting 10, having a clip 11 of any approved construction integral withor attached to its rear side face at or near the center thereof. In theupper face of the cylindrical body a longitudinal slot 12 is produced,extending ordinarily from end to end of the body, but not through saidends, and the end portions of the body are preferably quite thick, asillustrated at 13 in Figs. 1 and 3. The slot l2 in the body isintersected by'a circumferential opening 14, produced in the center ofthe front face of the body, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the ends ofthe slotted portion of t-he body, two aperertures 15 and 16 areproduced. The aperture 16 is made to extend through the end; but theaperture 15 partakes of the nat-ure of a recess and does not extendthrough the end, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3.

In connection with the body portion of the coupling a lock-bar 17 isemployed. (Shown 'in detail in Fig. 4.) The lock-bar is adapted to tsnugly in the slot 12 of the body. Its upper outer surface is convexed,and arib 18 is formed upon the upper convexed surface at one end, theend carrying the rib having a threaded aperture 19 formed therein, and astud 20 is produced upon the opposite end. The under face of thelock-bar is concaved, as illustrated at d in Fig. 4, and in the outerface of said bar at its center a beveled recess 21 is mad e, and whenthe lock-bar is placed in position inthe slot of the body the base-wallof its recess 21 constitutes the upper wall of the opening in the sideof the body. The

lock-bar is held in position in the body by entering the stud 20 intothe recess 15 andby passing a set-screw 22 through the opposite aperture16 into the threaded opening 19 of the bar, as is shown in Fig. 3. Thethill A, employed in connection with the body, has its iron 23 curveddownward in the usual manner; but the lower portion of the iron ishorizontal, as shown at 25a, and terminates in a head 24, extendingbeyond the sides of the iron at a right angle thereto, preferably anequal distance. y The head 24 is round in cross-section, and is adaptedto fit and turn in the interior of the body, the base-wall of theinterior chamber being circular or concaved, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

A locking-sleeve 25 is held to slide upon the horizontal member of thethill-iron. The locking-sleeve comprises a rear semicircular section 25and a forward collar-section 251. The rear curved section 25 of thelockingsleeve is apertured in alignment with the opening in thecollar-section 25b to admit of the horizontal member of the thill-ironextending rearwardly beyond the curved section, as is bestshown in Fig.2.

The locking-sleeve may be readily attached to the thill-iron whenever'desired, which is accomplished through the medium of a setscrew 26.

IOO

In operation the coupling is eected by sliding the locking-sleeveforward upon the thill-iron, and the lock-bar 17, having been removedfrom the slot 12 in the body of the coupling, the head 24 of thethill-iron is passed downward into the interior chamber of the body, thethill-iron being located when this is accomplished in the slot 14 of thebody. The lock-bar is then placed in position and secured through themedium of the set-screw 22, and the sleeve 25 is slid rearward to anengagement with the forward side of the body and is held in thisposition by manipulating its set-screw 2G. The sleeve 25, when adjustedto the body in this manner, extends over the lock-bar 17, and thecoupling may be raised or lowered in the usual manner as the horizontalmember of the thill-iron is capable of vertical play in the opening 14of the body.

When it is desired to disengage the thills from the axle of a vehicle,it is only necessary to loosen the set-screw 26, slide forward thesleeve 25, and unscrew the set-screw 22 from thelock-barl. Bylift-ingupward upon the thills, the heads of the thill-irons may be carried outof the body of the coupling, the lock-bar 17 passing out with the head.It will be observed that springs or rubber washers are not employed, andthat the locking devices of the coupling may be conveniently manipulatedby hand, vthus dispensing with the necessity of awrench, which tool isnot always convenientlyr at hand when required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination, with ahollow body provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper faceand adiametrical opening in its front face intersecting the upper slot and aclip secured at the rear of the body, of a thill having its rear endhorizontal and provided with a head extending beyond the sides of theiron and adapted to enter the chamber of the body, a lock-bar closingthe slot in the body above the head of the thilliron, a sleeve held toslide upon the thill-iron to an engagement with the body, and lockingdevices, substantially as described, for securing the lock-bar in placeand likewise the sleeve, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In athill-coupling, the combination, with a tubular body having aclip secured to its rear side having a longitudinal slot in its outerface and a circumferential opening in its front face leading into saidslot, of a thill the outer end whereof is horizontal and provided with ahead circular in cross-section extending beyond opposite sides of theiron and adapted to enter and turn in the interior of the body, alock-bar adapted to close the outer slot of the body, the said barbeingprovided with a recess in its forward edge constituting the upper wallof the body-opening, a sleeve held to slide upon the horizontal memberof the thill-iron having its rear section curved to correspond to theradius of the body, said section being adapted for engagement with saidbody, a set-screw carried by the sleeve, and a similar screw carried bythe body and adapted to enter the lock-bar, as and for the purpose setforth.

ANTON NIEKAMP. 'Witnessesz JOHN W. KRAMER, FRED HECKMANN.

